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Loved From Start To Finish, Left Wanting More

Reviewed: 03-04-23 Listener received this title free

I’m a lover of audiobooks. Ms. Sparks and Mr. Spires helped to bring our author’s characters to life. They are also new to me. It was great listening to people that I’d never heard before.

Ms. Sparks does a great job helping me get to know Pippa in a way that I couldn’t by reading her in a book. She does an exceptional job when she has to change her voice to convey what Bishop was feeling from Pippa’s point of view. Mr. Spires showed me why I need to expand my list of go to narrators. He helped me hear the frustration in Bishop’s voice when I couldn’t do that myself. He has a deep voice, and I loved the fact that he didn’t attempt a high-pitched voice when it came to speaking for a female character.

If you want to take your enjoyment of a book, or series, see if an audio version is available. One good thing about an audiobook is that you can get work done while still getting your story fix. The audio version also makes a commute, or even shopping trip, more pleasurable. And loving the series in the first place is just icing on the cake. In this case, having both versions takes me to my happy place.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Narrators Just Make A Great Book Better

Reviewed: 12-09-22 Listener received this title free

Noemi has had to deal with something no daughter should ever have had to. Conner might have to do something in the name of family honor. Their story will grab you on so many levels. If you’re a lover of mafia tales, this will give you that. Maybe you are someone that loves to read a good suspense story with romance slowly building as the storyline progresses. The author even goes one step further and creates secrets that take a while to be revealed.

I was lucky enough to read both the book and then recently had the chance to listen to Ms. Kennicott and Mr. Ross bring Noemi and Conner to life. They gave me accents that even my brain cannot give me – and I even got a chuckle when Mr. Ross brought his out. They also gave me plenty of emotion and heat. This is one of those books to listen to more than once especially if other books in this series are released in audio. Our narrators made a long day seem to go by just a little faster. They also made my commute interesting because occasionally, I would make comments about one thing or another.

Our author never disappoints. She creates worlds that I can get lost in and be left wanting more. She has a talent for making characters you will have no trouble hating. Seeing if they will get their comeuppance is a great motivator to continue turning pages. But sadly, all good things must come to an end but that doesn’t stop me from looking forward to where I’m going next. But the one I was anticipating will not be it – you know what they say, “patience is a virtue”. Let’s hope I have that much patience.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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I Prefer To Listen To This Book

Reviewed: 12-01-22 Listener received this title free

This book is connected to two other titles, but it’s all right if you haven’t read/listened to either. The characters caught my attention because one was not listening to the other. But to get the true emotions these two were feeling, I needed the help of two great narrators.

They did such a great job that at one point, I was not a fan of Myla. I know Ryot had his faults, but Mr. Clark gave him some vulnerability. Myla had a point and it was all hers and Ms. Hunt made that very apparent. I was team Ryot and wanted him to end up with his heart’s desire. This was like the perfect soap opera; I was completely absorbed by what was going on. I didn’t want anything or anyone to disturb me.

Some people like to read their books and some people like to listen to their books. I’m a fan of both but in this case, I needed the narrators to understand what the characters were feeling and what they wanted. The author is our director, and the narrators are our actors bringing the screenwriter’s work to life. Plus, this group gave me the ending I was hoping for. Now to add the time to listen to the other related books.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Love This Author/Narrator

Reviewed: 11-16-22 Listener received this title free

If you know this author’s work, you know that you’re in for a good time. If this is your first book in the world of Erin Mallon, then you may be pleasantly surprised. She made me hungry; she made me laugh, and she made me want to find the restaurant that became the backdrop for our characters.

With the holiday season upon us, time starts to creep up on, but we still want to get in our reading. This is a story that will be over in a matter of a couple hours. You choose to listen so that you can read and get your work done at the same time. Maybe you want to get off your feet so you can get the written version of her story. Whichever version you have you’ll come away having had a great time.

The author wears many hats and juggles all her roles with ease. I always find it difficult, or near impossible, to not laugh out loud in her presence. She works with some great narrators but in this instance, she shines all on her own. You will notice my review is more about our author than the story itself. It’s easier to talk about an author/narrator you love than to talk about their book without giving anything away – no spoiler alerts here.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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I've Been Hooked

Reviewed: 09-03-22 Listener received this title free

What a difference a year makes. I was getting my review ready for the audio version of this book when I find out that it’s only been just over a year since I actually read the book. This is a great example of a book that can be “read” more than once. I like having this book in more than one medium. I can pick up my e-reader if I want to be the one reading. Then I can pick up my iPod when I want someone else taking me into the world of The Five Families. And this has four narrators that made me very happy.

The narrators give voice to the author’s characters where when I read, the only thing I hear is my own voice. What was great about this book was that I didn’t feel that I had to read this series in order. But it also made me realize that this is a series to have in both mediums. Our author immersed me into a world that may be fictional but she made it very easy to believe that her characters could actually exist.

This story may be about Valentina and Kane but there is also another couple involved. Valentina also gets a surprise and you might think it will be the next book in this series. Well, I investigated for you and the surprise starts a new series, the Byrne Brothers. That book comes into the world next month. So I have time to continue my Five Families marathon. And if you like mafia romances then you may want to check it out for yourself.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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A Great Way To Catch Up With The Family

Reviewed: 06-20-22

This is a story that will be over before you know it. It would be the perfect book to take on your own vacation. But if you haven't met this family before, I wouldn't start here. The authors have written a story where you can catch up with some characters that you have met before. You'll also be left wondering if we're being set up for the next Greene to get his/her own story.

The voice actors make this story come to life. Both Mr. Arden and Ms. Mitchell are on my go to list because they always do a great job with the characters. They make it very easy for me to picture everything that's going on. Our authors always write a story that will get me to laugh. The hard part is trying to be quiet in a public place when I have to laugh out loud.

There is nothing bad that I can say about the audiobook or the series in general. I've been having a great time getting to know a family that I could see actually existing. It has me think about how when my own family gets together, the stories we tell and sometimes even laughing at some of our experiences growing up. Now I'm anxiously awaiting the next book since I'm not ready for the family dynamic to end. But I can certainly revisit them any time I want.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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An Addiction I Don't Want A Cure For

Reviewed: 06-17-22 Listener received this title free

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Camilla is ready to explore things that are kept behind closed doors. Ms. Eaton does a great job in bringing her to life as well as doing a good job with the male voices. This includes everything she feels and the emotions that can’t be contained. In having this story told from the characters point of view, we get a better understanding of those that come in and out of their lives. And what makes them uncomfortable or sets them aflame.

Filip will change how this story flows once he finds Camilla in a space he’s known to frequent. Mr. Duran has the perfect voice for this story. He may have a deep voice, but he does a decent job when doing a woman’s voice. You may also want to have a hand fan handy when he speaks. Since this is part of the author’s mafia romance series, having the right voice is important when you think of those that live in that world.

This story was the perfect combination. I love working out in my yard but when I don’t have a book to listen to, the time seems to go on forever. Between the story Ms. Ramsower created and the narrators that have brought those words to life, my job became so much more pleasurable. But then I’m presented with a twist and it almost had me stop in my tracks – didn’t want a distraction such as yardwork to see how things were going to change and then get resolved.

There are some series that I love to read and others I’ve come to prefer listening to. With this series, I want to do both. This current book, in the Five Families series, may be listed as a standalone but once you’ve finished with Camilla and Filip’s story you’re going to want to find out what you may be missing.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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This Is A Must Have Series

Reviewed: 06-03-22

If you love to laugh, you're going to want to check this one out. To get the full experience, you should start with book one. This is a play that makes fun of their profession. There's a storm brewing, more like building momentum, and it's one I'm not happy about.

I found it interesting that the author addresses concerns I had after seeing something in a group I belong to. She puts a funny spin on it and made my yard work a fun experience. The downside had nothing to do with any of these people, or the storyline, but at my iPod. Maybe it was revolting because of what I was listening to but I was getting to a really good part and the "stupid thing" kept shutting off. I almost began to wonder if it had sympathy for the new character that was added here. But we both got through it and now I want more. If I add too much more to my review than it will become a spoiler and this is something that needs to be experienced.

After you have finished, I hope you will check out more of both the author's other work as well as those of the other voice actors. I can't say that I liked one above the other since they are all important to this comedic piece. One good thing about listening to this as I was doing yard work was I could laugh out loud and not care if anyone saw me. Now if I had been in the grocery store, that would have been a problem because there was no way that I would be able to hold back the laughter. Now that I've been through all three in the series, I can now go back and listen to each one in succession. Think of them as acts in a play.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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What A Great Ending. But Is Actually A Beginning.

Reviewed: 05-24-22

This is not the place you want to start this series. It would be like reading a book backwards. I was looking forward to listening to Mr. Arden and Ms. Peachwood giving me an ending to Jax and Hayley's story. Our author didn't disappoint with this one and neither did they.

I thought things would go smoothly for our couple but it was far from that. Like in our world, there are obstacles that sometimes get in the way. Plus, I wouldn't get a chance to laugh if everything ran smoothly. By the time I got to Jax and Hayley's happily ever after, I was looking forward to going back and finally listening to all four books of the series back to back.

It was then that I realized that I hadn't heard from Ms. Dioro. You just need to be patient because she comes in at just the right moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to listening to more of her but she's left me in something of a quandary. There's part of me that wants to listen to Jax and Hayley's story over again from start to finish. But Ms. Dioro has given me a new series, titled Rivals, that I need to listen to. When I think about it, it's actually Ms. Lawson that has put me in this quandary. She creates characters that seem so real and she has narrators that do a fantastic job in giving them life. Oh, what is a poor reader to do?

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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I Can't Wait For Book Two

Reviewed: 05-23-22 Listener received this title free

This audiobook left me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I had to just sit back and let Ms. York and Mr. Devons do what they do best. Our author knows how to suck her readers in to her stories and leave them craving for more. The narrators bring everything to life where as a reader I can’t do that.

It's not a story that you can figure out. The only thing we can do is sit there and watch this play out. That's easy to do when you have two people that are perfect for this tale. This is a dark and twisted tale that if you're not paying attention, you may feel as if you are there with the characters. Depending on which character you lean towards, you may not understand what is coming next. If this were a film, just like the cover, I could see this being in black and white. It would just add that little extra.

The author has created something that is like nothing you'll have experienced before. But if you like psychological thrillers then this may be something you will enjoy. I wouldn't say it's romantic but it is very suspenseful. There is some physical stuff going on but it’s the dark edges of this tale that left me speechless and begging for more. Now that the characters, our narrators, and the author all have their claws in me; I don't know that I would be able to sit and read this book/series and feel a part of the Midnight Mayhem world. I wanted to delve right in to the second book but sadly it's not out in audio yet.

I'll try and be patient, for a little while, but I want to continue this Mayhem ride without having to wait, so getting the book may have to do. I can't even add it to a wish list - here tapping my foot. That's one reason why I love reading this author's work - she always gives me the unexpected. I feel like I'm in an adult version of the Twilight Zone and I want to know what’s going to happen in the next part of the series.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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